By Liu Yujing and Yan Liang
LHASA, Aug. 4 -- The PLA Tibet Military Command hosted a setting-out ceremony in Lhasa on the morning of August 3 for two teams respectively participating in the "Elbrus Ring" and "Army of Culture" of the International Army Games (IAG) 2021 to be held in Russia.
This is the fourth time for the Tibet Military Command to dispatch troops to compete in the "Elbrus Ring" event on behalf of China, and the first time to participate in the "Army of Culture" event. The participants for "Elbrus Ring" are selected through multiple rounds of selection and 20 elites are shortlisted finally, while the 12 participants for the Army of Culture are selected from the art troupe under the Political Work Department of Tibet Military Command.
The "Elbrus Ring" event is held in Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. It is a comprehensive competition of field skills for teams in high mountains with a total distance of about 116 kilometers from the elevation of 2,356 meters to 5,642 meters, making it feature the longest time span, the most subjects, the highest requirements on physical capability and the worst competition environment among all the events in IAG. The competition will kick off on August 22, local time in Russia, and last for 13 days. Participants from various countries have to complete 15 tasks including cliff climbing, mountain orienteering, and group shooting. Nine countries including China and Russia will participate this year.
It is learned that the troops of the Tibet Military Command has carried out preparations for five months, during which extreme training of physical functions and professional skills are conducted successively in different areas with dense forests, snow mountains and glaciers. Such training enabled the participating players to be more adaptable to the rules of the competition and has effectively tempered the participants' willpower, physical fitness, endurance and military skills.
The "Army of Culture" is a competition involving professional performers, creative groups and representatives of military museums and cultural centers from participating countries of the IAG 2021. The competition aims to deepen the friendship and understanding among the people and the armed forces of the participating countries, popularize military songs, and provide participants with the opportunity to display their creative potential and become familiar with the cultural essence of other countries. A total of 16 countries including China, Russia and Kazakhstan will participate in the competition.
The two participating teams will arrive in Urumqi on August 6, and then take a military plane to Moscow, Russia on August 8.